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STAPLES - DOSA

The staple food of South Indians is – Idli / Dosai. Generally, Idli is served for breakfast and Dosai for dinner. Dosai’s are rarely crisp in Chettiar homes. They are called ‘Elan Dosai’ – very soft and light crepes.

Dosai is prepared to suit personal preference of each individual in the house – soft, crisp on one side or both, thick uthappam, kal dosai, etc.

The basic batter is generally the same, while the method to prepare varies subtly to make the huge difference.

Chettinad Dosai

Rolled Paper Roast

Ingredients:

(For about 50 Dosai's)

Raw Rice 2 cups, heaped

Parboiled Rice2 cups, heaped

Urad dal1 cup, heaped

Fenugreek seeds1 tbsp, flat

Salt 3½ - 4 tsp, flat

Method:

Soak rice, dal and fenugreek together for 2 hours.

Grind to a fine paste. Just before taking the batter off the grinder, add salt and allow it to get mixed thoroughly.

Take the batter into a deep vessel and beat together for a fluffy texture. Pour batter in 2 or 3 containers. Rest to ferment for 8 hours or overnight. Refrigerate the batter after fermentation until needed.

Alternately the batter may be stored in Tupperware Canisters in the fridge as soon as it is mixed. Whenever needed, keep the container outside for the batter to ferment with the lid loosely placed on it.

To make Dosai:

Heat a Tawa until hot. Smear some oil with a cloth or crushed tissue.

Using a flat ladle pour a ladleful of batter in the centre of the tawa and quickly spread it in a circular clockwise motion. Spoon oil all around the sides of the dosai. Cover and cook for a minute.

Allow the underside to change colour - slightly.

For a crispy dosai flip over and crisp the other side as well (optional).